Free Baby Sleep Schedules by Age

May 20, 2024

Parents often ask us if we can help their baby or twins sleep through the night. The honest answer is yes, when a baby is developmentally ready, we can help families work toward longer stretches of overnight sleep, usually gradually over the course of a week or two. But the answer is also no: we do not offer “shock-and-awe” sleep training or short, 1–3 night interventions. We don’t have secret information that parents don’t already have, and we don’t believe families need an outside expert to take over in order for their baby to learn healthy sleep.

What we do have is long-term pattern recognition from working overnight with thousands of babies across every feeding method, temperament, and household setup, often with the same families for weeks or months at a time. That experience allows us to answer a more useful question:

When it comes to helping infants sleep through the night, one of the biggest challenges is wondering if your child is physically ready. What if they’re hungry? Are they starting to get sick? Do they feel abandoned? Even with all the data out there, these are all valid worries! For parents that would like a guideline to beginning a gradual change from waking through the night to sleeping through the night, here are the Free Baby Sleep Schedules by Age.

“At this age, what is biologically realistic sleep?”

This guide outlines what overnight sleep typically looks like at each stage of infancy, when longer stretches become possible, and how overnight feeds are gradually reduced when families want that outcome. These are not rigid schedules. They are age-based sleep expectations grounded in infant physiology and circadian development.

What Longer Sleep Looks Like at Each Stage of Infant Development

0–8 Weeks: There’s No “Night Sleep,” There’s Only Sleep

In the newborn phase you are following your baby’s lead. Our nurses like to say if it feels like you’re always feeding the baby you’re dong it right! Newborns have tiny tummies so they eat frequently and it’s common for them to wake up hungry every 2 to 3 hours, and sometimes even more.

• Circadian rhythm: Not developed
• Typical longest stretch: 2–3 hours
• Night waking: Normal and necessary
• Primary goal: Safe sleep, feeding on demand, parental recovery

Night Nurses Note: Newborns cannot be conditioned to sleep through hunger, discomfort or the need for connection. Any reduction in overnight waking must be gradual and responsive.

8–16 Weeks: Emerging Patterns, Not Training

• Circadian rhythm: as your baby matures, their system will begin to produce melatonin (the sleep hormone) and they will begin to develop the day and night cycles that they will have for the rest of their lives.
• Typical longest stretch: 3–5 hours
• Night feeds: Still expected and typical
• Common change parents notice: One longer stretch early in the night. It is also normal for baby to be awake and alert during the night, the same way they are during the day after a feed.

This stage reflects pattern emergence, but not readiness for abrupt or time-limited sleep training.

4–6 Months: Readiness Window

• Circadian rhythm: Established
• Typical longest stretch: 6–8 hours for some babies
• Night feeds: May still occur
• Pediatricians often discuss sleep expectations at the 4-month visit

This is the earliest window where gentle, gradual overnight changes, including slowly reducing overnight feeds, may be discussed, often over weeks rather than nights. Our Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training contains step by step instructions on how to reduce feeds.

6–9 Months: Consolidation Phase

• Typical night sleep: 10–12 hours with or without a feed
• Night waking may still happen due to:
  • Teething
  • Illness – congestion and illness can cause night waking but remember that starting a new solid food can also cause gastric distress as baby’s body adjusts to the new foods.
  • Growth spurts – sometimes infants need calories overnight to fuel their growing bodies
  • Developmental leaps – babies love to practice the new skills of standing up, scooting around, talking and singing in the comfort of their cribs!

Longer sleep is common during this phase, especially when overnight feeds are reduced slowly and intentionally. Parents might consider giving a Dreamfeed around 10pm to help 6-7 month old infants stay full until they wake up in the morning. Regression is still normal during these months.

9–12 Months: Habit vs. Hunger

• Night waking often becomes behavioral rather than nutritional – it’s not that baby has “bad habits” when it comes to sleep, it’s simply that they’ve never done sleep any other way than a series of long naps.
• Consistency matters more than method – the sleep training methods really aren’t all that different, it’s more about what parents can stick with.
• Separation anxiety may temporarily disrupt sleep

At this stage, routines, not rigid schedules or rapid sleep-training methods, matter most. But if and when parents decide it’s time for formal sleep training, success will depend on the parent’s ability to stay consistent.

Things to Remember

Twins and Multiples

Twins and higher-order multiples typically follow the same sleep-readiness timeline as singletons. When room-sharing, minimal overnight intervention can help babies learn to sleep through each other’s normal sleep noises. More tips for twins here.

Nursing Parents

Night weaning is a physiological process for the parent as well. If you’re breastfeeding, gradual reduction protects milk supply, comfort and hormonal balance. A lactation consultant can help guide the process safely and comfortably.

Crying and Sleep

Crying does not automatically indicate distress. Some babies cry briefly as a way to transition between sleep cycles. If sleep training does not feel right for your family, waiting is a valid choice. Healthy attachment is not dependent on sleep method.

FAQ: Baby Sleep Schedules by Age

When do babies start sleeping through the night?
Biologically, most babies are not capable of sustained overnight sleep until at least 4 months of age, when circadian rhythm matures. It’s also normal for many babies age 4 months and older to need to take in calories overnight, so it’s recommended that parents ask their pediatricians if their baby is ready to start sleeping through the night.

Do formula-fed infants sleep longer than breastfed babies?
No. While feeding type affects digestion, sleep consolidation depends more on neurological development than feeding method.

Can I ruin my baby’s sleep by responding at night?
No. Responsive nighttime care in infancy does not create bad habits. Sleep patterns evolve with development and babies do not learn to sleep through hunger, pain or discomfort.

What if my baby slept well and then stopped?
Sleep regressions commonly occur during growth spurts, illness, teething, and cognitive development. These are temporary.

Are schedules necessary for good sleep?
No. Schedules are tools, not requirements. Biological readiness matters more than clock-based timing.

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